Kerala Tourism launches two months long Green Carpet initiative

Trivandrum: While Kerala Tourism spends money on a destination, it is stakeholder and community cooperation in its continued maintenance that will ensure the local population benefits from this investment, said Minister for Tourism, Shri A C Moideen, who launched the Tourism Department’s Green Carpet initiative in Thiruvananthapuram today.

The multi-agency participatory campaign, which starts today and runs until October 31, has roped in tourism and trade stakeholders, local self-government bodies, varied programmes such as the National Service Scheme (NSS) Technical Cell under the Directorate of Technical Education, Suchitwa Mission, Kudumbasree, educational institutions, NGOs and other social organisations for its implementation.

“We hope the initiative can help create a feeling that the community can contribute and benefit from the tourism industry,” said the Minister. He also unveiled the campaign logo and released three tourism shorts: on wildlife, Kochi and Munnar.

Tourism Secretary, Dr Venu V expressed hope that the initiative would light the spark for more projects built with active public participation.

Green Carpet has a 10-point agenda aimed at spurring collective action to improve the quality of infrastructure and amenities at 84 holiday hotspots and working towards building a sustainable destination management system.

Tourism Director, U V Jose said, “Tourism is always a multi-stakeholder, public participation sector and the aim is to build a sustained system, rather than to do a maintenance job on one day.”

The agenda for action addresses ground-level concerns including waste management, infrastructure, safety and sustainability and clearly marks out what needs to be achieved before November 1, when the tourist season officially gets underway.

Included in the agenda are goals for a clean and hygienic environment; installing a scientific and sustainable system for solid waste collection and management; proper and regular maintenance of public toilets; and safer drinking water and food.

It also requires destinations to have in place well-maintained lighting and pathways; appropriate signage, all necessary tourist facilities and equipment, besides ensuring adoption of green principles and moving towards carbon neutrality.